Read Online Shadows by Paula Weston - Free Book Online

story about fallen angels has something to do with me?’
    Jason shrugs. ‘Hard to say. But we all know who can shed some light.’
    All roads lead to Rafa. There’s no getting around it.

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES
    His house is two blocks away. A little weatherboard with bright pink bougainvillea growing up a ratty trellis around the front door. One of the dozens of holiday rentals scattered around town. This one has seen its fair share of backpackers, given the burnt-out forty-four-gallon drum in the front yard and the rusty deck chairs clustered around it.
    The front door opens before we’re out of the car. Rafa has changed since this morning. He’s wearing a faded blue singlet, pants, combat boots that he hasn’t bothered to lace up. He leans against the doorframe and watches us approach.
    ‘I had another visitor,’ I say, stopping whatever smartarse comment he was about to make.
    He stands up straight. ‘At your place?’
    ‘No,’ Maggie says, and brushes past him. ‘She went for a walk.’
    ‘Shit, Gabe. Some things never change. When are you going to listen?’
    ‘I’m in one piece, aren’t I?’
    He checks me over and then steps aside so Jason and I can go in.
    ‘Who was it?’ He follows us into the kitchen. He’s been busy since we left: our breakfast dishes are washed and drying on the rack and the place smells of disinfectant.
    ‘She said her name was Daisy.’
    ‘Tall, red hair?
    I nod.
    ‘Was she armed?’
    ‘No. She said she just wanted see me.’
    Maggie, Jason and I sit at the table, all of us where we sat this morning, and Maggie begins tracing the scratch in the table again.
    Rafa leans against the sink. ‘What else did she say?’
    ‘That you’re a dick.’
    ‘She’s called me worse. Anything else?’
    ‘That you’d take care of me.’
    His eyebrows go up. ‘A vote of confidence from the gingernut. That must have hurt her.’
    ‘She also said you needed to grow a set and tell me thetruth— that it was about time you did something useful.’
    His lips twitch but he doesn’t smile. ‘Did she ask you to go back with her?’
    I shake my head. ‘She asked if you had back-up.’
    ‘What did you say?’
    ‘Not that I was aware of.’
    He pushes off from the sink. ‘What did you do that for?’
    ‘Ah…because I didn’t know not to?’
    ‘If she tells Nathaniel I’m here alone, he’ll send another pack of dogs after you.’
    Maggie’s hand stops moving.
    ‘She won’t.’
    ‘What, you remember Daisy? You know her?’
    ‘No, but I don’t think that’s why she asked.’
    He runs a hand through his short hair and it sticks up. ‘We have to go. You need to be long gone before they come. I can’t hold them off on my own.’
    ‘No.’
    He leans on the table across from me, blocking the light from the window. ‘Gabe, for once in your life would you just do what you’re told.’
    ‘Not until you tell me what connection I have to a mythical gang of fallen angels.’
    He falters. ‘What did Daisy tell you?’
    ‘Nothing!’ My voice is too loud in the small kitchen.‘ And I’m sick of everyone keeping me in the dark.’
    Jason is watching Rafa intently.
    Rafa stands back from the table, looks at the wall behind us and then stretches his neck until there’s a cracking sound. ‘Fine. But you might want to have this conversation in private.’
    I shake my head.
    ‘Gabe…’
    I cross my arms and wait.
    ‘If I tell you this, will you come with me?’
    ‘Probably not.’
    He breathes out heavily and moves back against the sink. ‘Where do I start…?’
    ‘How about with Semyaza?’
    ‘We know he was the leader of the fallen angels,’ Jason breaks in, ‘and that they were all sent to hell.’
    Rafa cracks a knuckle. ‘Pity they didn’t stay there.’
    Jason seems surprised by the answer, even though his instincts were right.
    ‘They broke out about a hundred and forty years ago,’ Rafa says. ‘Nobody knows how they did it. They spent forty-eight hours on earth,